Wisconsin judge to rule on man’s mental competency

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KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The mental competency of a man charged in a fatal stabbing at a group home in 2015 is back before a judge in Wisconsin.

The decision will determine if Marcel Kudzin’s mental illness is so profound that he can’t understand the court proceedings or assist in his own defense, the Kenosha News reported .

The 68-year-old is charged with first-degree homicide and attempted first-degree homicide for a knife attack at St. James Manor, a community-based residential treatment center. The 2015 attack left fellow resident James Nelson dead and another injured. Nelson was stabbed more than 30 times.

Kudzin was discharged from the military in the 1970s because of his mental illness. He’s been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, according to court records. Kudzin has been found either not competent or not guilty due to mental illness in several Illinois cases in the 1980s and 1990s. He spent 16 years in a mental health facility for an attempted homicide case.

Kudzin was found not competent after he was charged in 2015. He’s spent the past two years at Mendota Mental Health Institute.

Dr. Courtney Endres, a doctor for the defense, said Kudzin isn’t competent and that she doesn’t believe he can be restored to competence. But Dr. Kevin Murtaugh, a psychiatrist for the state, said Kudzin is competent when medicated and understands what’s happening in court.

Judge Bruce Schroeder will make a decision Tuesday. If Kudzin is found competent, he’s scheduled for a jury trial March 19.